Electrically operated air admission valve for internal combustion engines



Nov. 15, 1932.

W. R. PULKINGHORN ELECTRICALLY- OPERATED AIR ADMISSION VALVE FORINTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed OCT 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 15,1932. w. R. PULKINGHORN 1,387,515

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED AIR ADMISSION VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES Filed Oct. 14, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 15, 1932UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM ROSS PULKINGHORN, OF LOS AN GELE S,CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-EAL]? TO JOSEPH S. DAVIS, OF LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIA;

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED AIR ADMISSION VALVE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTIONENGINES Application filed October 14, 1931.

It is well understood that if the accelerator throttle of internalcombustion engines be suddenly closed while the engine is rotatingfaster than the so-called idling 5 speed, the engine linders exhaustpipe, and

manifold become lled with unburnt vaporized fuel due to insufficientcompression, or from lack of time for proper combustion and insuficientair.

This unburnt fuel when expelled not only causes a very'obnoxious odor,hut results in a loss of fuel if the engine is frequently employed as abrake while coasting down long grades, or for checking the speed of theve- 3:5 hicle prior to applying the service brakes.

ii'he object of this invention is to provide a device adapted to beinterposed between the throttle and intake valves of an internalcombustion engine, and provided with an electrically operated valvewhich will be opened upon closing of the accelerator throttle valvewhile the engine is rotating faster than idling speed, thereby admittingair and preventing unburnt fuel accumulating in the engine cylinders andmanifold.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in whichFig. l is a side elevation of an internal combustion engine mounted in amotor vehicle chassis with the apparatus of the present invention inapplied position therein.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken through the airadmission valve and associated parts.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 taken on line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken through the governor or circuit breakerfor controlling movement of the air admission valve at predeterminedintervals.

Fig. 6 is a sectional View taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a view of the switch employed to close the circuit to the.valve operating 50 device.

Serial No. 568,708.

Fig. 8 is an electrical diagram of the apparatus. Referring morespecifically to the drawmgs, 10 designates an internal combustion engineof the type employed in the propulsion of motor vehicles, 11 the usualcarburetor therefor connected to the intake manitold 13, and providedwith an accelerator throttle valve 14, operated by the accelerator pedal15.

The air admission device generally designated at 16 is connected to theintake manifold or located at a point between the accelerator throttlevalve, and the intake valves of the engine, and is constructed asfollows:

Connected to the intake manifold, preferably by screw threads 17 is atubular member 18 in which is slidably mounted a sleeve valve 19normally closing ports 20 therein.

Valve 19 is connected by a pin 21 or other suitable means to thearmature 22 of a solenoid 24 which when energized serves to actuate oropen said valve at predetermined intervals.

The armature is slidably mounted in a guide member 25 rigidly mounted inthe tubular member which also serves to limit the upward movement of thevalve against the action of an expansion coil spring 26 which encirclessaid armature, the opposite end of said spring engaging a collar 27, andthe upper face of the solenoid casing 28. The spring serves to hold thevalve normally closed. The guide is provided with a plurality ofopenings 25 which serves to equalize pressure or suction on thearmature.

Solenoid 24 is mounted in a housing 29 secured to or formed integralwith the tubular member, and is held inplace by a sleeve or the like 30engaged by a closure plate 31.

The terminals 32 of the field or winding of the solenoid extend throughblocks of insulating material 32*, and are connected to binding posts 33from which extend conductors 34 and 35 leading respectively to a switch36, and a governor or circuit breaker 37.

Valve 19 is adapted to be adiusted according to the amount of airrequired in relation to the piston displacement of the engine to Y whichit is applied. This is accomplished by means of a set collar 38 mountedon the reduced diameter portion of the armature, which through contactwith the closure plate 31 limits downward movement of said armature andvalve, thereby limiting the degree of opening of ports 20.

Removably secured to the closure plate is a cap 40 whichserves toprevent air, due to atmospheric pressure, entering the housing when thevalve is closed. Thus it will be seen that as the pressure or suction onthe armature is equalized the valve in turn is balanced.

Encircling the tubular member 18 is a perforated casing 42 filled withmetal shavings or the like 43, which serve to clean and silence airentering the engine when the valve 19 is opened.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the governor 37 consists of a cylindricalhousing 48 in which is tiltably mounted a disk 49 provided with a pairof pins 50 having tapered points engaging recesses 51 formed in aclosure plate 52 formed of insulating material.

Disk 49 is normally held out of engagement with an internal contact 53by a bow spring 54, the tension of which may be adjusted by a screw 54.The internal contact is connected by a conductor 55 embedded in theclosure plate to an external contact 56.

The governor above described is adapted to be connected to a rotatablemember of the engine, preferably to the shaft of the usual generatordesignated at G- as shown in Fig. 1, the housing being provided with asocket 58 and set screw 59 for this purpose.

The external contact 56 is engaged by a spring contact 60 which in turnis connected to the conductor 35. the spring contact being preferablymounted on the generator housing.

Referring to Fig. 7. switch 36 consists of a rigid contact 63, and aspring contact 64: carried by a casing 65 secured to the dashboard orother suitable supporting member. The contacts are mounted on blocks ofinsulating material 66, and secured to binding posts or the like 67. oneof which is connected to conductor 34, while the other is connected to aconductor 68 leading to the storage bat tery -B of the vehicle.

.Tournalled in openings formed in side walls of the casing is a rockshaft 70 to which is secured a cam 71 which serves. to close thecontacts of the switch, the cam being actuated by the accelerator pedalthrough a series of links and levers arranged as follows:

Secured to shaft 70 is a lever 72 connected by a link 73 to one arm of aquadrant 7 4 pivotally mounted on a bracket 75, the other arm of thequadrant being connected by a link 76 to the accelerator pedal. A link77 is connected to said quadrant, and an arm 78 secured to the shaft ofthrottle valve 14;.

An incandescent lamp 80 may be interposed in the circuit to indicate tothe operator of the vehicle whether the apparatus .is functioningproperly.

lVhen the vehicle is travelling at usual road speed, the contacts of theswitch will be opened due to depressing of the accelerator pedal, whilethe contacts of the governor will be closed due to the disk 49 engagingthe internal contact 53 by centrifugal force, during which time valve 19will be closed due to the circuit to the solenoid being broken by theswitch.

Should the throttle valve be closed while the vehicle is travelling atsuch speed, valve 19 will be opened due to closing of the circuit to thesolenoid, and will remain open until the vehicle slows down to idlingspeed or again attains road speed.

The time at which valve 19 opens under the above conditions may bevaried in relation to the speed of the engine by applying more or lesstension on the governor spring 54 by means of the adjusting screw 54".

From the foregoing it will be seen that valve 19 will be automaticallyopened when the engine is rotating faster than idling speed with thethrottle valve closed, thereby preventing an accumulation of unburntfuel in the engine cylinders and manifold, also balancing the mixture sothat it will completely ignite upon opening of the throttle valve.

I claim:

1. The combination with an internal combustion engine having an intakemanifold, a carburetor provided with an accelerator throttle valve. andan accelerator pedal connected therewith, of a valve arranged to admitair into the engine, electrically operated means for actuating saidvalve, a switch interconnected with the accelerator pedal arranged toclose the circuit to said electrically operated valve actuating meanswhen said accelerator pedal is in raised position, and a governoradapted to complete the circuit through said valve actuating means uponclosing of the throttle valve when the engine is rotating faster thanidling speed, whereupon said valve will be opened and admit air into theengine.

2. The combination with an internal combustion engine having an intakemanifold, a carburetor provided with an accelerator throttle valve, andan accelerator pedal connected therewith, of a device for admitting aircomprising a body member having a fluid conduit communicating with theintakemanifold, a solenoid mounted in the body memher. a valve connectedto the armature of said solenoid, a spring normally holding said valveunseated, an electric switch, a cam interconnected with the acceleratorpedal arranged to close the contacts of said switch when saidaccelerator pedal is in raised position, a governor adapted to beconnected to a member rotatable in unison with the engine crank shaft, aconductor leading from a source of current to said switch, conductorsleading from the solenoid to said switch and to said governorrespectively, said governor completing the circuit through said solenoidupon closing of the throttle valve when the engine is rotating fasterthan idling speed, whereupon said valve will be seated and admit airinto the engine.

3. The combination with an internal combustion engine having an intakemanifold, a carburetor provided with an accelerator throttle valve, andan accelerator pedal connected therewith, of a device for admitting airinto the engine comprising a body member having a tubular portion withports therein communicating with the intake manifold, a sleeve valveslidably mounted in the tubular portion, a solenoid mounted in the bodymember, means connecting said valve to the armature of said solenoid, anelectric switch interconnected with the accelerator pedal arranged toclose the circuit to said solenoid when said accelerator pedal is inraised position, a governor rotatable in unison with the engine crankshaft adapted to close the circuit to said solenoid when the engine isrotating faster than idling speed upon closing of said throttle valve,whereupon said valve will open and admit air into the engine through thedevice, and means for closing said valve when the engine returns toidling speed.

4. The combination with an internal combustion engine having an intakemanifold, a carburetor provided with an accelerator throttle valve, andan accelerator pedal connected therewith, of a device for admitting airinto the engine comprising a body member having a tubular portion withports therein communicating with the intake manifold, a sleeve valveslidably mounted in the tubular portion, a solenoid mounted in the bodymember, means connecting said valve to the armature of said solenoid, aspring normally holding said valve closed, an electric switchinterconnected with the accelerator pedal arranged to close the circuitto said solenoid when said accelerator pedal is in raised position, anda governor provided with a tiltably mounted disk rotatable inunison withthe engine crank shaft and adapted to complete the circuit through saidsolenoid when the engine is rotating faster than idling speed with saidthrottle valve closed, whereupon said valve will open and admit air intothe engine through the device.

5. The combination with an internal combustion engine having an intakemanifold, a carburetor provided with an accelerator throttle valve, andan accelerator pedal connected therewith, of electrically operated meansfor admitting air into the engine, a switch operated by movement of theaccelerator pedal arranged to close the circuit to said air admissionmeans, and means operated by

